For senior portraits:

 

Clothing Suggestions

  • Solid colors and long sleeves photograph well.  Avoid busy patterns.
  • Try not to wear flesh-tone or neutral colors such as white, beige, tan, pale peach or pink, or gray, as these can make you look washed out.
     
  • Don’t wear outfits with words or designs, stripes or pictures, except possibly your school logo. You want your face, eyes and expression to command attention, not the words on your shirt.
     
  • Select more than one outfit, aim for one casual and one dressy and definitively "you" outfit that says something about your personality. Choose suitable jewelry, accessories. And avoid sleeveless tops, which can make arms look big.
     
  • Decide if you want to wear your glasses.
     
  • Some shots will be full length, so bring good socks/shoes/footwear.
     
  • Consider bringing letter jackets, sports equipment, or a musical instrument to express your interests, making your portraits personal.

 

For Girls

  • Wear your favorite outfit that shows your personality.  Wear matching shoes and accessories to complete your outfit.
     
  • Clear or neutral colored nails work best.  Make sure they are clean and filed.  Removed chipped polish, it will show up.  Current trends include black, blue and neon - but don't use these - they will look strange 20 years from now.  And neon draws too much attention away from the rest of the photo.
     
  • When doing your hair, choose a comfortable style you know looks good.
     
  • Don't get a last minute haircut. Give your hair a week or so to grow out.
     
  • Apply makeup as you normally would, before you arrive.  Use concealer and powder if necessary to minimize blemishes and then stop worrying! Retouching will be done to ensure you’ll look your best.  Avoid glitter or sparkly anything (powder, eye shadow, blush) – it tends to reflect the flash and leaves white spots. Also avoid too much lip gloss. It can also leave white spots.   And stay away from SPF products, which can make you look shiny.
     
  • Limit sun exposure prior to your portrait session.  Burns and tan lines never photograph well.
     
  • Bring a hairbrush.

 

For Guys

  • Limit sun exposure prior to your portrait session avoiding burns or tan lines .
     
  • Don't get a last minute haircut. Give your hair a week or so to grow out .
     
  • Shave before your session.
     
  • Bring a comb.

 

 

For portraits:

 

  • A standard portrait session is about 1 to 1.5 hours.
  • Please let me know the following:
    • Will this be for an indivdual, small group, large group.
    • Have an idea about the largest print you might make
  • Outdoor pictures will usually be taken in the later part of the afternoon, or can be in the morning. (The few hours around Noon are the least desirable, but might be possible to do depending on the location.)

 

 

For events:

  • I must have reasonable access to the action. Such as near the outer edges of a pool for a swimming event.
  • I am always careful not to disrupt the event or activities. Let me know what rules and guidelines you have ahead of time.